Church Records Encouraging Numbers Training for Ministry

Despite all the discouraging reports about the diminishing number of churchgoers from large churches in the UK, the Church of Scotland’s Board of Ministry announced a significant increase in the number of enquirers and candidates training for ministry.

This year’s report to the General Assembly has stated that the Enquiry and Assessment Scheme, which helps congregations to reflect upon their call to service, has continued to attract about 100 individuals in the past three years. Among the candidates, the number successfully accepted for training have risen significantly. In the 2003-2004 sessions, 33 new candidates have started training.

Whilst welcoming this, the report notes two points that have to be improved to maintain the quality of ministers. First of all, the standards of assessment governing the applicants must be addressed.

Even though there have been “significant changes” over the past two years in the regulations for admission and re-admission of ministers and deacons, the report says that they would like to keep exactly the same standard whilst affirming "the richness and diversity brought to the life of the Church by those who come into its ministry from other denominations".

Another challenge is the increasing budget of education and training required. It appears to be a serious concern as the whole church was asked to make significant savings just earlier this week after the issue of the financial report from the Stewardship.

Never-the-less, being highly encouraged by the success, the Board of Ministry is ready to draft out an ambitious scheme to develop its support of candidates in training for ministry.

The figures has also revealed an interesting phenomena, admission of candidate coming from other denominations has risen from 5 or 6 a year to 12-14 per year. The report attributes this to the raising interest from other denominations, the use of the internet to advertise vacancies and the better terms and conditions the Kirk ministers enjoyed comparing to other mainstream denominations.

However, under the scarcity of resources, the board is unlikely to be able to support the rising number of students in training, and in addition supervise those coming into the church from other parts of the world. Consequently, the board will decline to accept applications from ministers of other churches until they have successfully completed any additional academic training required to bring them up to the standard expected of all candidates for ministry. Such applicants will normally be expected to have completed five years of ministry in the church from which they seek admission.

As a previous report suggested, resourcing congregation is at a higher priority than the pension and stipend for ministers while a difficult financial status is faced by the Church of Scotland. The board therefore alerts the General Assembly, ministers and missionaries that the possibility of finding a further five per cent 'employer’s' contribution to secure the pension fund is being examined.

Also, after the scandals of sexual harassment and child abuse were found in a few churches, the board recognises the importance of enforcing the monitoring system in these areas. The report says the Scottish Criminal Records Office are implementing checks for ministers and deacons on a phased basis, and the securing of enhanced disclosure certificates for ministers will be completed by the end of this year. All these workings will cost more than £20,000 plus considerable staff time.

Implementation of an enforceable sexual harassment code has been consulted. The board feels the general procedures already in place for dealing with inappropriate behaviour are sufficient to meet complaints against anyone already subject to presbytery discipline.

The increase in the candidates in ministry training was also reported by the Ministry Division of the Church of England in April. The number of those recommended for training for ordained ministry with the Church rose slightly from 475 in 2002 to 505 in 2003.